Childhood Asthma

Peter Greally first encountered asthma as a young boy when he would wake in the middle of the night, gasping for air. He was brought to an eminent professor of pediatrics, who proclaimed that his symptoms were due to anxiety. Eventually, one morning after such an episode, a young, enlightened family doctor saw him and diagnosed asthma. Most doctors now recognize that although there can be powerful mind-body interactions, the evidence for the inflammatory basis for asthma is undisputed. Thanks to the many drugs which can control asthma, virtually all asthmatic children can now lead normal lives. Childhood Asthma details what exactly can cause an asthmatic attack, how best to prevent them, and what to do when they occur. This book explains inflammation; different forms of allergies; eczema; the causes of asthma; the signs of an asthmatic attack; common triggers, and ensures any asthma sufferer and their parent, guardian or teacher is able to safely deal with an occurrence. Managed effectively there could potentially be little or no effect on a sufferer; this is evident in the number of high-profile athletes in particular that have asthma. These include Ireland and Manchester United footballer John O'Shea; his fellow Manchester United player Paul Scholes, Irish rubgy player Ronan O'Gara and former player Denis Hickie; and GAA's Martin Comerford, Aidan O'Mahony and Tommy Dowd.